16/08/2023
THE WOMAN WITH THE ALABASTER BOX
Everyone knew whom she was. We know her as the woman with the alabaster box, but they knew her simply as ‘that sinner woman.’ The Bible didn’t even give us her name. But what she did and who she became will never be forgotten.
Luke chapter 7 vs 36-37(NIV)
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, He went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.
She did not hide in the dark corners. She walked into this Pharisee’s house. From the moment she appeared in the doorway, Simon, so sure of his own piety looked down on her with utter disdain. He was disgusted by her and disgusted that she was in his house.
He did not separate her from what she had done.
Ever been judged solely for what you've done wrong?_
Simon was seen as holy and she was less than the dirt on the soles of their shoes.
But Jesus saw things differently.
She was unloved. An outcast. Her sin was public. Everyone knew what she was and how she lived. No one cared for the circumstances that led her to this place. She had been tried and convicted in court of public opinion, sentenced to an existence without value. Had anyone ever truly loved her? A woman would not simply choose this path. It was put upon her, forced upon her to survive. Her sin gave her provision, but the sacrifice was to never be loved. At least, until this moment as she knelt at the feet of Christ.
There are so many things that happen to us; in particular women, even as little girls that they never chose.
We didn’t choose our home, our mother, or our father. The absence of patience and kindness from those closest to us create a sense of cheapness within us. We learn from their response to us that we are the problem and if we would just be better, things would be ok. We spend our lives trying to do just that…be better. We never realize that we will never be good enough for some people because they must have a scapegoat for their own dismay.
Head lowered, she stepped softly into this crucible of hatred toward this man. She never thought she would be allowed. Even as she heard the stories, as she made her way to Simon’s home, she wondered if this man, Jesus, would accept even a woman like her. When Jesus did not shoo her away, the deep wounds from never being accepted broke out of her in tears that dropped on His feet. To finally be loved, moved her, where she did not expect. She had no towel, nothing to wipe the tears from His feet, so she let down her hair, her treasured possession to wipe the moistened dirt on His feet. However, in the eyes of the public this was a scandalous move. Only women of ill repute would let down their hair in public. Howbeit, what they thought about her didn’t matter anymore.
When will we allow God’s value in us override what other people say?
She took her hair in her hand and gently wiped the tears. She took the alabaster jar in her hand. This is why she had come, to honor this gracious man, but she was the one honored. True adoration of Christ reveals a love and honor that covers over our past, our sins, and heals our wounds.
There are so many things that we use to cover our shame and filth, but they only create a facade and we know it. But when we pour out our pain that we have tried to hide and cover for so long, we are made new.
You will never give Him the glory and He leaves the shame with you; He takes everything.
He says, "bring it; the glory with the shame, the pain, the disappointments and the dishonor, bring them all".
Again, _He does not just take the glory and leave you with the shame. Everything, hand them over!
The woman with the alabaster box: all that it looked like was that she brought and broke the expensive spikenard. But no, that woman took her pain, she took her frustration, it was also her sorrow, and broke it.
[Lord I do not want it again, both the spikenard and the pain, I hand all over]
Lessons learnt
Don't just pour your glory in the bottle, pour out your pains too.
Pour the sickness, the terminal disease, the prayer request: the reason why you don't sleep at night; give it to him too.
The financial struggles of life, let it go with the worship, your sacrifices, your disappointments, let them go together.
We will not only give you the highest praise, we will give you the highest pain, the highest sorrow, the highest disappointments.
Transfer the pains in the bottle and release them to him.
Exchange your weakness for His strength and your earthly wisdom for His divine wisdom.
